Strychnine-sensitive and strychnine-insensitive glycine binding sites in the spinal cord of the wobbler mouse.
Using quantitative autoradiography, the strychnine-sensitive glycine site and strychnine-insensitive glycine site of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor were analyzed in the cervical segment of the spinal cord of the wobbler mouse, which is a purported model of human motor neuron diseases. Significantly increased density of the strychnine-sensitive site was found in the lamina II-inner (+17%) and laminae III & IV (+17%) of wobbler mice. The strychnine-insensitive site was also increased in lamina I & II-outer (+15%), lamina II-inner (+15%), laminae III & IV (+48%), laminae V-VIII (+43%) and lamina X (+26%) of wobbler mice. However, no significant differences were observed for the both sites in the ventral horn where motor neurons are located. These findings suggest that both inhibitory and excitatory-associated glycinergic dysfunctions are involved in the wobbler mouse motor neuron disease.
Tomiyama
M
M
Third Department of Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kannari
K
K
Matsunaga
M
M
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005998:Glycine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008818:Mice, Neurologic Mutants; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D018009:Receptors, Glycine / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D013331:Strychnine / Q000494:pharmacology*
D018009:Receptors, Glycine; D013331:Strychnine; D005998:Glycine